


Simple As That

by RainbowSerenity



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Canon Compliant, M/M, Matchmaking, Tent Noises, i mean i guess, ohohohoho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-10
Updated: 2018-05-10
Packaged: 2019-05-05 00:02:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14604675
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainbowSerenity/pseuds/RainbowSerenity
Summary: Aranea plays matchmaker for two idiots. Hey, there's gil in it for her, okay?!





	Simple As That

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kaithdynn](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kaithdynn/gifts).



> HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my lovely friend Jenn! <333 I only ever seem to write Promptis when it's for you ;D 
> 
> This fic is really silly, but I wrote it in like one night while out of my mind in back pain, so don't judge okay

Having Aranea around was sort of weird. Not a _bad_ weird, really, but just...odd, like they'd been fighting against her side all the time and suddenly she was on theirs.

Oh wait, that's  _exactly_ what it was.

Ignis had called Aranea a 'shade of gray.' Prompto wasn't completely sure what was meant by that, but he assumed that Aranea's job of basically being a hitman (hitwoman?) for hire didn't mean she took sides. She just did what she was told.

Sorta like what he was supposed to do.

Prompto shook his head a little as he went through the photos of the day, as was his habit when they'd all settled down for the night. Aranea was talking to Gladio about something, Iggy was chopping vegetables, and Noctis had been meandering around until he noticed Prompto had his camera out and wandered over.

This was all typical. Typical night! Noct always leaned in close to look at the camera display! His hair always brushed against Prompto's face! Totally typical! No reason for his heart to start pounding, nope, nuh-uh, not him!

“You okay?” Noct suddenly asked, nudging Prompto's shoulder with his own. Prompto realized a second too late that he'd been staring into space for a good minute. Hopefully he could attribute how red his face probably was to the glow of the fire.

“Y-Yeah! A-okay, totally fine!”

That response got him a weird look, but luckily, it wasn't commented on. Instead, Prompto scrolled through some more photos, already mentally deciding which ones to delete. There were  _way_ too many pics of a certain Prince in here…

“Gentiana's back,” Noctis said, squinting at a photo of Ignis doing a backflip. Of course, it was perfectly poised. Gentiana was in the background, unseen by all of them back then. Knowing her, she was probably judging Iggy's form.

Prompto locked it to his memory card. “That's a keeper.”

If Noctis scooted himself a little closer at that comment, Prompto totally didn't notice. Nope, not him, not at all. “What else is from today?”

“Oh, uh, just some of these...” Prompto scrolled through the photos without even really seeing them. Occasionally, Noct would make a comment, but it went largely unheard, due to the so-not-that-big-of-a-deal reason of Noctis being ridiculous close. Like, seriously, super close. It was unnerving in a really, really good way.

Then again, maybe Noctis was just confused. It  _had_ been a really long day, with what  trudging  through a swamp to find Aranea and then needing to hurry up and set up camp because it got dark so quickly. Knowing his friend, Noctis was probably just really, really tired and was mistaking Prompto for a chocobo. Easy mistake!

Somehow, Prompto managed to go through all the pictures, saving a few upon request. Right after, Ignis called to Noctis for help with dinner. Prompto smirked a bit to himself, just imagining the look on Noct's face at the sight of all those vegetables.

Hey, he wasn't really into them either, but he always ate them without complaint. He had to keep this fine bod, after all. And he just...he had to be good enough…

“Hey, you.”

Prompto jumped, just narrowly keeping himself from shrieking like a monster. Aranea sat down beside him, smirking at him curiously. On instinct, Prompto looked over at Gladio, but Gladio wasn't even paying much attention and was reading a book instead.

“Uh, hi Aranea,” Prompto finally said, instinctively fussing with his hair a bit. He had a habit of doing that around pretty people. He did it the most around Noc…….no one. “What can I do for you?”

She looked faintly amused, but then again, that seemed to be her default expression. It didn't matter if they were kicking monster ass or slopping through dirty lake water – Aranea just gave off the impression that she'd seen it all before. Knowing how she didn't work for any one boss, she'd probably been around the block more than any of them.

It was probably how she was able to keep a straight face at her question.

“So what's up with you and the Prince?”

This time, Prompto did let out a little yelp, just narrowly avoiding dropping his camera. As it was, he fumbled around with it uselessly until he finally managed to hold onto it like a normal person – gripping it like a lifeline.

Was Noct looking at him weird??? No, he was chopping vegetables and making an adorably disgusted face -

“Uh.” Prompto cleared his throat, pointedly ignoring the others. Or one other, anyway. “I don't know what you mean. Nope. Not me.”

Aranea arched an eyebrow. “Uh huh.” She glanced away, presumably to look at Noctis – Prompto wasn't going to check, nope, not him – and raised both eyebrows when she went back to the conversation. “So how come he was all over you just now?”

“He was _not!_ ” Was he shrieking again? Probably. He toned it down. “He was just tired, that's all! It's been a really long day, you know? And he probably just thought I was a chocobo. My hair looks like a chocobo's butt. O r so I've been told.”

“It does,” Aranea agreed, “but that doesn't change the fact that the Prince of Naps didn't look anywhere _near_ as lovey-dovey with anybody else.”

“You've only been here for like a day! How would you know?!”

“Hey, I've seen things, kid. I've got eyes and ears everywhere.” She nudged him. “Seriously, though. Why haven't you made a move?”

Prompto wasn't exactly sure what came out of his mouth in response. If anybody else heard, they'd probably assume he was possessed. Or broken.

As usual, Aranea seemed amused at this. “You really do like him, huh?”

“Well….yeah,” Prompto replied once he'd calmed down somewhat. He glanced over towards where Iggy and Noct were still cooking. They'd moved on to the meat portion, which Noctis looked much happier about. “We're best friends. Of _course_ I like him.”

“At the risk of sounding like a twelve-year old girl, I don't mean it like that – I mean that you _like-_ like him, don't you?”

“I...”

Somehow, he couldn't deny it, even if he couldn't actually confirm it. Not that it mattered, because Aranea took one look at his softening gaze at the Prince and had her answer.

“So why don't you tell him?”

“N-No way! I couldn't!” That was the understatement of century. It had taken Prompto _years_ to make himself good enough to hang out with Noctis. Even now, he struggled every moment to be good enough to be traveling with him and the others. It was a delicate balance, one that he wasn't exactly eager to tip.

“Why not? Just let it all out. Simple as that. He _clearly_ feels the same way.”

“Huh?!” Prompto immediately whirled his face back to Aranea. “What makes you say that?! He's just – he can't - ”

“I told you, I've got eyes everywhere. But they're not big googly eyes like you two are always giving each other.”

“I don't give him googly eyes!” Oh god, he probably _did._ Had he been super obvious all this time? Was Noct constantly trying to find the right moment to let him down easy???

Aranea smirked. “You sure do.” She glanced at Noctis for a moment. “Y'know, I had a little stint as a matchmaker back in the Empire. I could hook you guys up, if you wanted.”

Prompto had no idea the Empire was capable of affection, but Aranea sounded so earnest – for her, anyway – that he was inclined to believe her. “….Really? You'd do that for me?”

“Sure would. It'll cost you, though.”

It figured. However, Prompto didn't hesitate and immediately began digging around in his pockets. Usually Ignis was in charge of all the gil – he was the only one who didn't constantly have the urge to spend it on 'frivolous' things, although there was really nothing frivolous about a somebrero, if you asked him.

“Uhh...” Eventually he came up with 133 gil and a souvenir sticker from Hammerhead. “How's this?”

She eyeballed his pathetic offering and swiped the gil with a sigh. “Good enough.”

In retrospect, someone good at business would have asked what, exactly, they were paying for before handing over their gil. Prompto, however, was merely a photographer, which was why he was struck with fear when Aranea got up and walked over to the cooking station.

“No no no, wait - !”

She stopped, standing about halfway between himself and Noct. He thought for a moment she'd actually heard him, but then she shouted something that made Prompto's gut turn to ice.

“Hey, pretty boy! Chocobo-head here has something to tell you!”

Noctis and Ignis glanced at each other. Iggy said something and pushed his glasses up his nose before returning to the food, leaving Noctis free to come closer...and closer….hahaha, was it hot out here or was that just the roaring fire?

“Yeah?” Noctis asked when he'd reached Aranea, looking at Prompto curiously. “What is it? And whatever is, thanks for that, because I've had about as much of Iggy's cooking lessons as I can take for tonight.”

That was just like Noct. So kind to him. So sweet. So handsome in the glow of the fire…

“I like you!”

Prompto clapped a hand over his mouth like that would stop him from blurting out anything else crazy, especially since Noctis was giving him an odd look. Not bad, just _odd._

“Yeeeeahhh….” He strung out the word in confusion. “You're my best friend. I like you, too.”

Had Aranea not been giving him an extremely unimpressed stare, Prompto might have just left it at that and laughed about how he was hungry or something. But hell – he'd paid for this! His hundred and thirty-three gil, gone! Was he going to let it be taken in vain?!

“Um, well, I mean...” Prompto suddenly hopped to his feet and let out a breath. “Can I talk to you, Noct? Somewhere a little more private?”

“Oh.” If he had any clue what was coming, Noctis hid it with a carefully confused expression. Or maybe it was genuine confusion. “Uh, yeah. Sure.”

They wandered a bit away from the campsite – but still in view and out of range of any daemons – and for a moment, Prompto just stared at Noctis. If he was a poet, he would've said something about the Prince looking ethereal as he stood bathed in the moonlight, his shining brighter than the stars…

But of course, words weren't really his thing, so the only thing that came to mind was that Noct looked really, really good in this lighting. It was the sort of thing he wished his camera could pick up.

“What's up?” Noctis asked when a minute of silence had gone by.

For some reason, this just unleashed a whole flood of babbling. “I meant what I said back there. I like you, Noct. A _lot._ I mean, of course I _like_ you, but I like you beyond best friend feelings. It's all cool if you don't feel the same, 'cause I don't want to make this all weird and I'd totally understand if you didn't want me to come along with you guys in case it gets weird, but I just - ”

He was cut off when Noct's lips were suddenly on his.

Oh.

... _Oh._

He stood totally still for a moment before some weird instinct took over and he pulled Noctis a bit closer, feeling this Prince's arms snake around him. He was pretty sure that Noctis had never actually kissed anybody before, so it was kinda unreal how _good_ he was at this.

Then again, Prompto felt like he was a little bit biased.

“I like you too,” Noctis murmured when they finally separated. Somewhere in the distance came a wolf-whistle. It could've been an actual wolf, though, and not somebody from the campsite spying on them. “I have for awhile. I just didn't think you felt the same, so...”

“Really?” Prompto stepped back a little, though he didn't let go of Noctis, and instead stared at him in awe.

“Well, yeah. You're my best friend and all. I just figured out somewhere along the line that I liked you more than that.”

Prompto stared some more. It blew his mind that Noctis was so... _casual,_ almost, although the way he shuffled from foot to foot gave away that he was still feeling a little nervous. Ultimately, though, they liked each other in a way that made them want to kiss, and for Noct, it was just as simple as that.

“Yeah.” Prompto grinned. “Same here. I've always admired you, and I guess it just kind of...developed.”

“I knew it. I'm irresistible.” Noctis took Prompto's hand, leading him back to the campsite hand-in-hand like it was the most natural thing in the world. “So, are you sleeping on my site of the tent tonight or what?”

The noise that came out of Prompto was definitely not human. “Think we can keep the others out of there for awhile?”

“Hey, I'm the Prince. What I say goes.”

Prompto knew he was blushing and grinning like a total idiot when Noctis led him to the tent. It was completely obvious what they were going to do in there. Staying off the campsite might have actually been slightly more private.

Oh, well.

“Dinner will be up in about ten minutes,” Ignis informed them, looking not at all surprised.

“Perfect,” Gladio said with a smirk. “That'll give them just enough time to work up their appetites.”

“Which means you'll have to eat all your vegetables,” Ignis said.

Noctis pulled Prompto into the tent and rolled his eyes at Iggy before zipping it up. Prompto continued to try and not die of happiness, if such a thing was possible. “Not a chance.”

Once the tent was zipped and there were telltale smooching noises accompanying the roar of the fire, Aranea smirked as she sat down next to Gladio. “I told you I could get them together. You owe me.”

Gladio sighed dramatically and reached into his pockets. “What was the bet, nine-fifty?”

“Make it a thousand even. I _did_ do it in a timely fashion.”

“She has you there,” Ignis said, poking at something in the fire as he raised his eyebrows at Gladio. “And here you were claiming that those two would never...” He glanced towards the tent, wishing he had some earplugs for later. “...Get together. In more ways than one, it appears.”

Gladio pulled the gil out of his pocket and slapped it into Aranea's hand with a groan. “Should've known better than to bet against you.”

“Next time you'll know better.”

Gladio rolled his eyes. “At least you helped those idiots out.” Gladio gestured towards the tent. More smooching noises filled the silence. He frowned like an overprotective sibling might.

Aranea smirked. “They were stupidly obvious. Getting them together was as simple as _that._ ” She snapped her fingers. “Now you'll just have to deal with them making out instead of fighting off daemons. Another thousand says you'll catch them tomorrow.”

“You're on, because I won't!”

The next day, it took Gladio about an hour to catch the lovebirds behind a tree during a battle. Aranea could only laugh and line her pockets, forever glad that new couples were so damn predictable.

**Author's Note:**

> hiiii I'm on [tumblr](http://rainbowserenity.tumblr.com), come say hi <3


End file.
